Meet Jessie Macaw

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessie Macaw a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessie, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

For most of my youth and early adult life, I believed I couldn’t be an artist because, in my mind, real artists created serious work — and I painted purely for fun. My art is playful, colourful, and driven by joy rather than deep, profound meaning. Because of that, my paintings spent years tucked away in drawers, and most people who knew me had no idea I created art at all.

That changed with Instagram, and especially through the 100 Day Project. Posting my daily paintings online gave me a sense of anonymity at first, which made it easier to share. It became an exercise in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. From there, I pushed myself further and applied to the local Mercury Bay Art Escape — and was accepted.

In my first year, I felt like a bit of a wannabe, but now, heading into my third year, I finally feel like I belong there.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m Jessie, a mixed media, intuitive painter and doodler based in Tairua, New Zealand. When I paint, I begin with no set plan or idea of where the work will go. I build up layers of colour, texture, and mark-making until shapes and forms start to reveal themselves — a bit like seeing faces in woodgrain or animals in the clouds. I call this process the Art of Seeing.

I’m a member of the Mercury Bay Art Escape, which hosts Open Studios during the first two weeks of March each year, and I regularly exhibit at various events throughout the year.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three most impactful skills I’ve developed are:

1) Trust the Process:
In both creating art and navigating life as an artist, I’ve learned the importance of letting things unfold naturally. We often try to force art — and life — in a certain direction, but I’ve found that the results are usually even better when we allow them to evolve in their own way. Trust that everything happens for a reason, and follow your instincts.

2) Embrace Play Over Perfection:
It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to be taken seriously and forget why we started creating in the first place. For me, art should be fun, messy, and full of exploration — more about the journey than the destination.

3) Have Courage:
Have the courage to share your work! You might be surprised by how many people connect with what you create. Not everyone will love your style, and that’s okay — the more authentically you show up as yourself, the more likely you are to find your people.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

Growing up in a small beachside town was probably one of the most impactful gifts my parents gave me. We didn’t spend much time watching TV or playing computer games, so I learned to rely on my imagination instead. Those years were filled with creativity and play, and I think that’s where my sense of joy, wonder, and playfulness truly began.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://doodlingpainter.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_doodlingpainter
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/the_doodlingpainter